I didn’t know that was you! really awesome work.
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i just wanted to chime in and say that reading this thread makes me really happy.
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Hi everyone! First time posting here, although I’ve been lurkin around since this forum’s inception (lurked a bit on the old monome forums as well 
)
I became instantly fascinated with the grid after reading about it online (CDM perhaps?) and finally bought a walnut 64 in 2013. Before then I had mostly played in punk bands, but loved chopping up audio on my laptop and did a fair amount of multimedia work with Pd during my undergrad years at UIUC. I was always looking for ways to make my computer an instrument, more than just a fickle host for the Adobe Creative Suite.
I briefly met Brian in 2013 after somehow convincing the owners of the graphic design studio I worked at right out of college to invite him to speak/perform at their annual TED-like design conference. That job came and went, but the grid has stuck around ever since — I used MLRV extensively along with contact mics, floor triggers and video gear in a series of site-specific modern dance performances, and a string of shows and recordings with my good friend’s jazz combo
I’ve worked on a handful of never-published Pd grid interfaces over the years, and recently rekindled my love of laptops thanks to Madrona Labs’ Kaivo and the Mark Eats sequencer — looking to dive into the norns world soon.
I really love this forum, and have learned a ton about audio programming and synthesis concepts just from scrolling around. Thank you all for being better at sharing!
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I think it was @AlessandroBonino that introduced me to this place in 2017. He mentioned something like “go check out the lovely place Lines” when I kept posting stuff about Mannequins in a boring Facebook group. “Lines what?” I thought to myself. It wasn’t that very easy to find until he gave me the right address.
I’m somewhat a technology and MIDI illiterate (ask @vicimity) so I haven’t been that active posting anything of worth to this forum. I recently got a Norns Shield, so one step at a time I’m diving into a new world of threads trying to learn that magical little device filled to the brim of technology and MIDI. Wish me luck.
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I found here through the Disquiet Junto - I don’t use anything Monome (or anything modular). I am a heathen! I love seeing and hearing about everyone’s works, but my brain just can’t deal with the modular world 
I first came across the Disquiet Junto because I was looking for communities that were focused on experimental music. Back then, I was in a creative rut and needed something to kick-start my practice again. I signed up to the Junto updates, then made my way here.
Along the way I’ve met a lot of wonderful artists, had some great discussions and participated in multiple livestreams. It’s been a pleasure being part of this community and I’m so glad to have found this place. Everyone is so supportive and creative and inspiring.
… maybe one day I will try again with modular 
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I found this place through The sound and process podcast towards the end of 2019. I had episodes on repeat during that time. Think I listened to the Marcus Fischer episodes 10 times! I got completely obsessed and started researching music from members here, trying to understand and learn about tools and techniques, and searched through old threads.
I had seen Monome instruments before, and always felt intrigued but somewhat intimidated. I didn’t quite understand what was going on, but after reading and watching videoes extensively I finally ordered Norns and Grid late in 2019.
To me this whole experience has totally changed the way I approach music, and continue to shape my interest in creative processes. The openess to sharing (ideas, creations and tools), and the kindness and friendly tone in here makes this place truly special.
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I probably landed on a few lines threads while googling for info / discussion on various interesting approaches to sound (probably including Benjolins, PD Automatism, Bastl and Koma tabletop stuff, graphic scores etc), and started to notice that for quite a few things, lines seemed to be the main place outside of a CDM article and some youtube videos where things like this were discussed in any detail. I also noticed posts by some artists whose (abstract experimental electronic) work I like, which was a good sign, plus a notable lack of toxic / aggro / acquisitionist internet vibes. So I found myself looking at more and more threads.
Last year I decided to actually start participating in forums a bit (since I can’t currently talk to my friends at gigs…), and I’ve enjoyed posting on lines since then!
Its maybe worth mentioning that I don’t have any Monome / Norns stuff, and I don’t do Eurorack at all. From the outside those might seem to be the main focuses of the forum, but I still find plenty to engage with and find it a great resource. Thanks people!
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i am a pure data nerd,
i was very interested in the lovely work done with Max/Msp and the Grids/Arc and then of course the Mannequins connection interested me. I will share that i got a weird grid and because of where i was living in CT i took a drive upstate to get a cordial welcome at monome HQ and the kindness and the artistic approach to technology and the egalitarian, inclusive tone of this forum has been a pleasure. I see others now adopting this method and i had kind of had enough of the Muffwiggler vibe --it was the time of that scenario with the guy who took hundreds of pre-orders for some modulator module and took like three years to deliver it. Anyway, I appreciate talking to programmers & artists possibly because i’ve never felt comfy as either.
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Somehow, I must have missed these, so thanks for making me aware! They’ve made for good listening during the work day.
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A friend got into modular, found Lines and pulled me in. I’ve stayed on for the community, the ideas and the quality of the conversation. I have llllllll.co on my list of “Time thieves” in my Cold Turkey website blocker (a free alternative to the Freedom-app). Procrastinators understand.
So far I have no plans to take up programming or go into modular. But who knows, I just made my first drone in VCV rack. I’m afraid Norns/Monome & Co still seems to be far above my songwriter-head.
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I’m not exactly sure when monome came onto my radar, but a quick search of archived emails shows first communications with @tehn around 2007, when I ordered my first 40h, #145 of the first batch of 200.
I had not only fallen in love with the machine and the apps, but for the ethos behind it; the way they built the devices, the commitment to manufacture ethically, source locally and even sending the packages to the post by bike, Unlike nearly every other device of its kind, it was OpenSource! Then there were the videos I watched over again. Everything felt right.
Then something was posted on the monome.org forum re: the first Monomeet to be held @ Princeton. I called a friend of mine, a fellow-monomer, to tell her about it. We made plans, figured out transportation and set out for New Jersey.
The meetup was awesome, there was the informational section, with projections and Q&A, but the best part was the performances by @tehn, @Galapagoose (who I believe had organized everything, though I could be wrong) and the star of the day @edison who’d flown out from SF for the event and killed it. It was so great to meet everyone and put names to faces and jam with one another over beers and pizza.
Fast-forward to 2009, I was living in Astoria, Queens when I was burglarized. The bastards took nearly everything, about $7k worth, including my monome. I reached out to Brian who got right back to me with an invoice for insurance claim submission.
When I received the ins check, I immediately contacted Brian got right back to me with sympathy and let me order a Greyscale 64, which I still own, When things began turning towards eurorack support, I ordered a White Whale and a Grid, eventually adding a handful of WR modules to “the ecosystem.” Safe to say that if I could only have a laptop and one piece of gear, it would be my Grid. Thank you, Brian and Kelli for all of this.
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yes! thanks for the kind words! was such a good trip!
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Those monomeets were fantastic… I remember fondly the one Ray organized in Princeton, and the one Frank organized in New Mexico… the group is a bit larger now, but I really feel like we’re overdue for more in-person gatherings… once this dang pandemic is over maybe
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This is my first post! Like Sademik in the first post, I was under a lot of stress due to family events in 2019. I was so stressed that I couldn’t concentrate enough to play classical guitar.
I read a lot about eurorack, which appealed because I could make music without having to deal with physical coordination and concentration. Also, I have been interested in sample/sound manipulation for a long time, and this seemed like a great format for that.
I started buying some gear in Feb 2020 and pretty early on got a w/, my intro to mannequins & monome. In late 2020 I was getting tired of my sequencing/cv options (rene MkI, marbles and some other random/chaos) and started reading about teletype here on lines.
In Jan of this year I ordered a new TT, which I love. I have no coding experience but have been interested for a long time. So… It is really fun to learn coding & logic in the service of gaining some control over this amazing customizable cv tool!
I got & assembled a Norns shield about a week ago which I am just starting to explore, and bought a used grid which should arrive this week.
I have been lurking here for a while, and now that I own some Monome gear hope to become more active in this community.
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my brother is CalArts, but I feel like there are a lot of Santa Cruz adjacent folks around here too.
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20 chars of Taqueria Vallarta.
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I did a search for my username on Google and found that I’ve already been posting here. I traced my posts back and this was my first post.
Actually I ordered an ER-301 a couple of years ago and found out about the Teletype while learning about it. The Teletype arrived before the ER-301 and I’ve been enjoying the company of all you lovely people in the community since then. 
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I think I first read about Monome in the Create Digital Music article from 2006 that @marcus_fischer linked earlier. For some reason, I remember where I physically was when I learned about it (nothing exciting, my living room at the time 
), the Grid concept made enough of an impression on me it seems.
I was already interested in modular at that time (didn’t have one yet though) and I remember noticing that one of the people involved was Don Buchla’s son, and while I had never touched a Buchla I did like what I knew of their design and somehow associated the two - even though I knew they were not made by the same people.
Anyway, I really liked the interface but was not into using computers for music-making (my setup was mostly old toys and keyboards + cheap effect pedals at the time) so I was a bit disappointed when I realized the Grid was a controller and didn’t investigate more than that. I did read about it once in a while though through CDM, MusicThing or similar sources.
I finally started a small modular system in 2013 or so and got interested in the Teletype in 2015, which is when I created an account here to ask a few questions, though I was not really active at that time (I was more active at ilovefuzz and that other modular forum then).
I slowly and gradually started to read more topics here and, just like everyone else, appreciated the fact that this is basically one of the only civilized places online.
Lines is the only online community I consider myself somehow part of, even though I don’t have that many direct interactions with other members.
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Happy to bring you in Enjoy the friendly company here!
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